My trip report from our 2004 adventure to WDW during Jersey Week can be found here.
If my epic telling of last years trip has piqued your interest, or youre simply bored at work, or you vicariously enjoy the sometimes comic misadventures of other peoples vacations, read on fellow DISers. The Cast of Characters for our recent trip is unchanged from last years trip report, except that we are, of course, all one year older.
Me Still the planner of this years Disney adventure (theres no way Im ever relinquishing this job). As this was our 3rd consecutive year visiting WDW and due to circumstances to be later described, the touring schedule was more flexible than ever before. My commando mentality was probably a 4 out of 10 this year, compared to last years 6.5 and 2003s off the charts 11.
DW Occasionally lived up to last years Stick in the Mud label with at least a daily reminder that my much improved commando mentality should still be toned down a notch (I was already down to a 4 on this trip there aint much lower I can go). Heres a good example. Our family of 5 arrives in Fantasyland at MK. I suggest that I run over to Splash Mountain to grab fastpasses while DW and kids ride Snow White. DWs response: Why do you have to run ahead? Cant we all stay together? Why are you always running off? Im thinking to myself, Holy crap. Does she know that in addition to grabbing fastpasses, Im going to sneak in a pretzel, root beer float, and a couple of rounds at the Frontierland Shooting Arcade while Im gone? Nevertheless, DW is, of course, quite pleased when we later pass by hundreds of envious faces on the standby line at Splash as we parade along the Fastpass line singing Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. To be completely fair, I believe DW enjoys the WDW experience almost as much as I do, and I am completely devoted to her for wanting to return year after year and regulating all planning exclusively to me. What a gal.
DS 7 Second grader who joined the thrill ride seeker team on this trip.
DS 5 Kindergartener who cant stop talking about riding all 3 mountains.
DD 3 Best described as our belligerent, cantankerous, must get her own way, constant battle of wills, relentless Disney Princess. Rode everything she was tall enough to ride and was as tough as nails on Tower of Terror. Thats right Tower of Terror at age 3!! Enough said.
Epilogue
This years trip was supposed to be a short one. We had 4 days planned in Orlando to be followed by 4 days to South Florida visiting my stepmom and her husband. The plan was supposed to include one day in MGM/Epcot, one day in MK, one day at Typhoon Lagoon, and one day at Seaworld. When I planned the trip several months earlier, DW asked, Are you sure youre going to be able to handle just 2 days in the Disney Parks? At the time I thought that the 4 days in Orlando would satisfy me just fine. We had spent full weeks in WDW the previous two years, and we would have sufficient time to hit the major attractions during our 2 days in the Disney Parks. We had leftover parkhoppers from last years trip to cover most of the park admissions and decided on a moderate resort to keep costs in check. The short trip was well planned and financially stable. No problem, I responded.
About 3 weeks before our trip I remarked to DW, Wouldnt it be sweet if we were somehow able to spend all 8 days in Orlando and skip South Florida altogether. DW just shrugged at me derisively.
And then two weeks or so before our trip, Hurricane Wilma hit South Florida. When I had heard that Orlando had not been impacted and knew that the first leg of our trip would not be affected, I really didnt focus much attention on the devastation the hurricane had on South Florida. When Wilma hit, my Florida family was still in New York. They were supposed to head down to South Florida around the same time my family was to travel to Orlando and beat us to South Florida by a few days. However, they began to receive reports from their FL neighbors of power outages, closed supermarkets, banks and gas stations, property damage to their home, etc.
At the 10 day mark before our trip was to begin, my stepmom and I didnt yet know it, but we had embarked in a game of chicken. An opportunity (albeit a somewhat tragic one in the form of a hurricane) had presented itself for me to possibly double the length of my stay in Orlando. I began to salivate like a starving dog. The hurricane also presented an opportunity for my stepmom to delay her trip to Florida until after Thanksgiving which she apparently desired, but I didnt know at the time. The game of chicken was on. We both expressed our extreme disappointment that we might not be able to spend time together in South Florida due to the hurricane without, of course, showing to the other our mutual hidden desires to avoid South Florida altogether. We agreed to wait a couple of days before making any final decisions about aborting our South Florida get together. At the 8 day mark we agreed that I should look into extending my stay in Orlando. At the 5 day mark (the deadline to cancel WDW hotel reservations), the decision to abort became final. The game was expertly played by us both. No feelings were hurt. Remorse was expressed all around. Our healthy interfamily dynamic was kept intact with smoke and mirrors.
At this point, complete panic set in. Where are we going to stay the extra 4 nights? What should I do about park admissions? Should I consider some days at Universal? Will I be able to get ADRs for the additional days? Do I need a new touring plan? Where is the closest bank to rob for the extra cash Ill now need? Can a Category 4 Disney Commando handle four completely unplanned days in WDW? Hopefully time will permit me over the next few days to tell the story of a Jersey Familys return to WDW during Jersey Week 2005.
If my epic telling of last years trip has piqued your interest, or youre simply bored at work, or you vicariously enjoy the sometimes comic misadventures of other peoples vacations, read on fellow DISers. The Cast of Characters for our recent trip is unchanged from last years trip report, except that we are, of course, all one year older.
Me Still the planner of this years Disney adventure (theres no way Im ever relinquishing this job). As this was our 3rd consecutive year visiting WDW and due to circumstances to be later described, the touring schedule was more flexible than ever before. My commando mentality was probably a 4 out of 10 this year, compared to last years 6.5 and 2003s off the charts 11.
DW Occasionally lived up to last years Stick in the Mud label with at least a daily reminder that my much improved commando mentality should still be toned down a notch (I was already down to a 4 on this trip there aint much lower I can go). Heres a good example. Our family of 5 arrives in Fantasyland at MK. I suggest that I run over to Splash Mountain to grab fastpasses while DW and kids ride Snow White. DWs response: Why do you have to run ahead? Cant we all stay together? Why are you always running off? Im thinking to myself, Holy crap. Does she know that in addition to grabbing fastpasses, Im going to sneak in a pretzel, root beer float, and a couple of rounds at the Frontierland Shooting Arcade while Im gone? Nevertheless, DW is, of course, quite pleased when we later pass by hundreds of envious faces on the standby line at Splash as we parade along the Fastpass line singing Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. To be completely fair, I believe DW enjoys the WDW experience almost as much as I do, and I am completely devoted to her for wanting to return year after year and regulating all planning exclusively to me. What a gal.
DS 7 Second grader who joined the thrill ride seeker team on this trip.
DS 5 Kindergartener who cant stop talking about riding all 3 mountains.
DD 3 Best described as our belligerent, cantankerous, must get her own way, constant battle of wills, relentless Disney Princess. Rode everything she was tall enough to ride and was as tough as nails on Tower of Terror. Thats right Tower of Terror at age 3!! Enough said.
Epilogue
This years trip was supposed to be a short one. We had 4 days planned in Orlando to be followed by 4 days to South Florida visiting my stepmom and her husband. The plan was supposed to include one day in MGM/Epcot, one day in MK, one day at Typhoon Lagoon, and one day at Seaworld. When I planned the trip several months earlier, DW asked, Are you sure youre going to be able to handle just 2 days in the Disney Parks? At the time I thought that the 4 days in Orlando would satisfy me just fine. We had spent full weeks in WDW the previous two years, and we would have sufficient time to hit the major attractions during our 2 days in the Disney Parks. We had leftover parkhoppers from last years trip to cover most of the park admissions and decided on a moderate resort to keep costs in check. The short trip was well planned and financially stable. No problem, I responded.
About 3 weeks before our trip I remarked to DW, Wouldnt it be sweet if we were somehow able to spend all 8 days in Orlando and skip South Florida altogether. DW just shrugged at me derisively.
And then two weeks or so before our trip, Hurricane Wilma hit South Florida. When I had heard that Orlando had not been impacted and knew that the first leg of our trip would not be affected, I really didnt focus much attention on the devastation the hurricane had on South Florida. When Wilma hit, my Florida family was still in New York. They were supposed to head down to South Florida around the same time my family was to travel to Orlando and beat us to South Florida by a few days. However, they began to receive reports from their FL neighbors of power outages, closed supermarkets, banks and gas stations, property damage to their home, etc.
At the 10 day mark before our trip was to begin, my stepmom and I didnt yet know it, but we had embarked in a game of chicken. An opportunity (albeit a somewhat tragic one in the form of a hurricane) had presented itself for me to possibly double the length of my stay in Orlando. I began to salivate like a starving dog. The hurricane also presented an opportunity for my stepmom to delay her trip to Florida until after Thanksgiving which she apparently desired, but I didnt know at the time. The game of chicken was on. We both expressed our extreme disappointment that we might not be able to spend time together in South Florida due to the hurricane without, of course, showing to the other our mutual hidden desires to avoid South Florida altogether. We agreed to wait a couple of days before making any final decisions about aborting our South Florida get together. At the 8 day mark we agreed that I should look into extending my stay in Orlando. At the 5 day mark (the deadline to cancel WDW hotel reservations), the decision to abort became final. The game was expertly played by us both. No feelings were hurt. Remorse was expressed all around. Our healthy interfamily dynamic was kept intact with smoke and mirrors.
At this point, complete panic set in. Where are we going to stay the extra 4 nights? What should I do about park admissions? Should I consider some days at Universal? Will I be able to get ADRs for the additional days? Do I need a new touring plan? Where is the closest bank to rob for the extra cash Ill now need? Can a Category 4 Disney Commando handle four completely unplanned days in WDW? Hopefully time will permit me over the next few days to tell the story of a Jersey Familys return to WDW during Jersey Week 2005.
Keep the reports coming! We leave in 5 days for Sea World, a family reunion & Epcot 
